After 807 days and 83 innings, Babar Azam’s 32nd international ton finally arrived and helped clinch the ODI series with a match to go against Sri Lanka.
Pakistan’s premier batter oozed class, looking patient and untroubled by the Sri Lankan bowlers throughout his 119 ball-inning.
Babar Azam’s 32nd international ton: how it unfolded
In a match that was supposed to take place a day earlier, Pakistan won the toss and invited Sri Lanka to bat, with the visitors posting 288/8 in their allotted 50 overs. With the start the Lankans had gotten, 320-330 looked possible, but Pakistan ended up restricting them to a slightly below par, as dew was expected to arrive in the 2nd innings.
Thanks to some poor bowling and a barrage of extras bowled by the Lankan bowlers, Pakistan ended the powerplay with 77 runs on the board and Saim Ayub being the only casualty. Babar Azam along with Fakhar Zaman, stitched a crucial 100-run stand, wherein the 31-year-old reached his fifty in 68 balls with the help of just 3 fours. The southpaw, meanwhile was ultimately dismissed in the same over, and brought an end to a very unlike-Fakhar knock.
With his next partner at the crease, Muhammad Rizwan striking at 90+ and not allowing the required run rate to enter the nervous territory, chants of “Babar, Babar, Babar” echoed around the ground, as he entered the 90s. Soon, in the 48th over, the nation watched their favourite son pull a short ball away for a single to reach his 20th ODI and 32nd international ton. Perhaps the look on Babar’s face said it all. Rather than screaming in joy, the man from Lahore looked relieved and took a pause before the sajdah – letting the misery of the last two years wash over him one last time.
It was a cathartic moment and also really fitting that it was Rizwan at the other end to watch the moment unfold and then embrace Babar after the sajdah.
Records made and broken after Babar Azam’s 32nd international ton
20 – Babar equals Saeed Anwar’s record for the most centuries by a Pakistani batter in ODIs, achieving this milestone in 108 innings less as compared to the former left-handed opener.
40 – the amount of times Babar has been involved in 100+ partnerships in ODI’s for Pakistan, only behind Inzamam-ul-Haq (41).
136 – innings is what it took Pakistan’s former captain to reach his 20th ODI hundred which is 3rd fastest in terms of innings, behind Hashim Amla (108) and Virat Kohli (133).
8 – Babar now holds the record for the most ODI hundreds on home soil, surpassing Mohammad Yousuf (7).
32 – Babar Azam’s 32nd international ton means he has the 4th most international centuries by a Pakistani batter, reaching this milestone in 372 innings. The list is led by Younis Khan (41 in 491 innings) followed by Muhammad Yousaf (39 in 426 innings) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (35 in 547 innings).
What is next for Pakistan and Babar Azam?
Following this one-sided win, Pakistan have taken an unassailable lead, clinching the ODI series with a match to go and making it Shaheen’s 2nd series win on the trot. Perhaps in the 3rd ODI, the men in green can afford to rest their main players and test the bench strength, including left-arm wrist spinner Faisal Akram and wicket-keeper batter Haseebullah Khan.
Meanwhile, the fans and Babar Azam, more importantly, would hope it does not take as long to score another century and that he can build on tonight’s knock.
In the end, when all is said and done, it should be worth remembering that sometimes, no matter how unlikely it seems, cricketers can make comebacks, and kings can return.
